FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates an insulation displacement connection device for coaxial cables, having a conductively constructed housing with cable connection stubs and a device for the insulation displacement connection (IDC) of the outer cable conductor and the inner cable conductor. The invention also relates to an insulation displacement connection device for electrically joining a first electrical conductor to a second electrical conductor, wherein the first electrical conductor has a slit which is constructed and dimensioned in such a way that its width is at least partially less than the diameter of the second conductor. The invention additionally relates to an insulator element for bracing and centering an inner conductor in an outer conductor, wherein hollow spaces are provided inside the insulator element and/or between the insulator element and the inner conductor and/or between the insulator element and the outer conductor, having an inner conductor receiving portion for receiving the inner conductor and having at least one bracing zone for bracing the insulator element in the outer conductor.
The insulation displacement connection (IDC) technique for contacting insulated electrical conductors without baring the insulation and without solder is well known and is used, among other purposes, in joining coaxial cables for connection and contacting of the inner and outer cable conductors. Insulation displacement connections of that kind for coaxial cables are known, for instance, from European Patent Application 0 228 750 B1, or U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,533,191; 4,533,193; and 4,533,199.
International Patent Application WO 93/19498 also discloses a contact housing for connecting a coaxial cable, in which the contacting of the outer cable conductor and the inner cable conductor is again done without solder by the insulation displacement connection (IDC) technique. In it, a plug screw likewise being formed of electrically conductive material is firmly joined to the contact housing. In order to contact the outer cable conductor, knife contacts of various sizes which are adapted to the cable diameter are provided. They are pressed into the cable through the use of a pliers and clamped to the cable shield and are then firmly enclosed and blocked by a cup-shaped sealing sleeve secured to the cable connection stub of the contact housing. In that known configuration, the knife contacts of one size can be exchanged for knife contacts of another size given the same layout of the configuration, and therefore it is possible to connect coaxial cables of different diameters.
The insulation displacement connection devices described in those references are unable, for various reasons, to assure simple and reliable manufacture of secure, durable connections or contacting and are therefore in need of improvement in various aspects.